Reciprocating pump



Dec. 15, 1959 Filed NOV. 28, 1955 T. H. LIESEN 2,917,333

RECIPROCATING PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Thomas H. Liesen BY Whitehead. Voql 8| Lowe PERjZM 2 ATTORNEYS Dec. 15, 1959 LlEsEN 2,917,333

RECIPROCATING PUMP Filed Nov. 28, 1955 2 sheets -sheet 2 Mill. 7 I 44 33 a2 g 'll'm Fig. 9

INVENTOR. Thomas H.'Liesen BY Whifchood. V09! 8 Lowe ATTORNEYS United States Patent '0 RECIPROCATIN G PUMP Thomas H. Liesen, Eads, Colo.

' Application November 28, 1955, Serial No. 549,260

4 Claims. (Cl. 287-58) This invention relates to well pumps and more particularly to reciprocating water-well pumps of the type which are generally associated with windmills, a primary object of the invention being to provide a novel and improved pumping-rod safety accessory for windmill pumps to prevent compressive buckling, distortion or even breaking of the pumping rod assembly whenever the windmill is operating and the pumping elements below are frozen as from severe cold weather or from mechanical grabbing through lack of lubrication.

In many regions of the United States, and especially in the western plains states, a large part of the domestic and stock water supply is pumped by windmills. The conventional types of windmills are mounted upon a tower with the wheel of the windmill being mechanically interconnected to a reciprocating drive which in turn is connected to a vertical pull rod. The pull rod extends downwardly from the windmill to be interconnected with the pumping rod of the well which extends downwardly into the well casing in the ground. The pull rod is generally made of wood, for lightness and rigidity, and the pump rod in the casing may be made of wood or metal.

In operation, it is anticipated that the pull rod and pump rod will usually be under tension especially while the rods are moving upwardly. However, there are circumstances where the rods are subjected to compression, as from the buoyant eifect of the pumping rod in the well casing, or from the frictional pressure of the packing at the casing head through which the rod passes, or even from the eifect of the counterweights that might be installed in the system to render a more effective and uniformly loaded operation. Such compressive forces are not objectionable since the wood pull rod is generally of such proportions as to resist the eflect of moderate compressive loads.

However, circumstances arise where the pump rod in the casing becomes locked in position, as by freezing of water in the casing in severely cold weather or by frictional mechanical grabbing at some point in the system. When this occurs the compressive forces on the pull rod in the reach between the windmill and the connection to the pump rod become so great that either the pull rod must buckle or break and such and other damage is often the result of the windmill pumping system freezing. It follows that there is a definite need for improved apparatus which is adapted to obviate such trouble and with such in view the present invention was conceived-and developed and comprises a self-telescoping arrangement of elements associated with the pull rod, as hereinafter described in detail.

It follows that other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved self-telescoping attachthem for the pull rod of a windmill pump which: (a) will permit the windmill to operate freely and without damage when the pump rod is frozen in the up position;

(b) is adapted to permit the pull rod to transmit such compressive force to the pump'rod as will occur in Patented Dec. 15, 1959 normal operation but to telescope under excessive coinpressive force; (0) is adapted to be used with practically any type of windmill pump and to use the conventional elements of the system as a portion of the mechanism; (:1) is adapted to permit the use of a hand pump attach ment without the necessity of disconnecting the windmill pump mechanism; and (e) is formed as a simple, inexpensive, neat, easily-installed rugged and durable unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain novel and improved constructions, combinations and arrangements of part and elements as hereinafter described and as defined in the appended claims, and illustrated in preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of a windmill, diagrammatic in nature, illustrating, in particular, the invention as being installed in the rod assembly between the pull rod and pump rod.

Figure 2 is an elevation view of that portion of the rod assembly which includes the invention, as shown at Fig. 1 but on a greatly enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the section illustrated at Fig. 2, as from the indicated arrow 3 at Fig. 2. Figure 4 is a sectional elevation view as taken from the indicated line 4-4 at Fig. 3.

Figure,5 is a transverse section as taken from the indicated line ,5-5 at Fig. 3, but on a further enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is an elevation view, similar to Fig. 2, of

that portion of the rod assembly which includes the invention but showing a modified construction thereof.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation view as taken from the indicated line 7--7 at Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a transverse section as taken from the indicated line 8-8 at Fig. 6, but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 9 is a transverse section as taken from the indicated line 9-9 at Fig. 7 but on an enlarged scale.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, and to the construction illustrated at Figs. 1 to 5, and the windmill 10, illustrated at Fig. l, is mounted upon a tower 11 which supports a cap 12 at its top with the windmill being rotatable upon the cap about a vertical axis in order to align the wind wheel 13 normal to the direction of the wind. The windmill 10 includes the wind wheel 13, the direction vane 14, and a mechanism train 15 which is adapted to translate the rotation of the shaft of the wind wheel 13 into vertical reciprocatory movement to the pumping rod assembly.

'This pumping rod assembly includes a Wooden pull rod 16, generally rectangular or square in section which is interconnected with the mechanism train 15 underneath the cap to depend therefrom to the bottom of the tower where, in conventional construction it is connected to a rectangular sectioned link, hereinafter described which, in turn is connected to the well pump rod 17. This pump rod 17, generally circular in section, extends into the earth inside the well casing 18. This casing is closed at its top by a head 19 through which the pump rod 17 extends, and may either be closed as with suitable packing to prevent leakage of water or be an open standpipe operation of the windmill.

' The invention, hereinafter referred to as a telescoping safety-slide 21 isincorporated in the pumping rod assema conventional coupling 22 at the top of the pump rod "This safety-slide 21" is formed as a rectangular tubular bly and is connected to the lowerend of the pull rod'16-. to depend therefrom and be connected to the top of the pump rod 17, the connection to the pump rod 17 being by This bar 24 is 7 preferably the conventional top-bar of.

the pump rod which conventionally connects with the pull rod and includes orifices in its body for connection to the pull rod and with a hand pump underneath the pull rod and is incorporated into the invention to provide for an economy of material and to retain the desirable handpump facilities.

The connection of the body 23 to the pull rod 16 is by a plate 25 which is welded or otherwise secured ontoone side of the body 23 to extend beyond the top end thereof and lie against one side of the pull rod 16. There are suitably spaced orifices 26 in this extended section of the plate which are in registration with mating orifices 27 at the bottom portion of the pull rod 16, such permitting positive attachment of the plate 25 to the pull rod by bolts 28 inserted through the orifices. This attachment permits the top of the body 23 to be abutted against the bottom of the rod 16 to form a continuation thereof. The connection of the slide bar '24 to the pump rod is by threads 29 at the bottom of the slide bar which turn into coupling 22, such being conventional.

A pair of opposing slots 30 is formed in opposite faces of the tubular body 23 with each slot being centered and longitudinally aligned in the body and extended a substantial portion of its body length.-

An orifice 31 is extended through the slide bar 24 for conventional connection to the pull rod 16. For modified use with the invention this orifice is in registration with the path formed by slots 30 and a limit pin 32- is threaded into an orifice 31 and through the slots 30 to limit the movement of the slide bar in the body to not more than the length of the slots. The length of the slots and the spacing between the top of the bar 24 and the bottom of the pull rod 16 is such as to permit re-- ciprocation of the slide bar in the body with the normal pump stroke of the windmill.

This pin 32 is formed as an ordinary bolt which is longer than the thickness of the body 23 through which it extends. A friction washer 33 is set at the head of this bolt to bear against one face of the body and a second friction washer 33 is set upon the bolt to bear against the opposite face of the body. These friction washers are held against the sides of the body 23 by a spring 34 set upon the bolt and against a friction washer 33, and by a third washer 35 set upon the bolt against the spring and a pair of nuts 36 turned upon the bolt and tightened against the washer 35. This arrangement imparts a selected frictional drag whenever the slide bar 24 moves into the body 23. When the system is operating normally, the pin 32 seats at the lower end of the slots near the bottom of the body and it is only excessive compressive forces on the rod system which causes movement of the slide bar 24 into the body 23.

To install the safety slide 21 in a conventional windmill it is necessary to shorten the pull rod to provide space for the slide 21 with the length of the pull rod system of the windmill being proper for normal operation when the pin 32 is at the bottom of the slOts 30. In normal operation of the windmill the unit remains in its extended position without effecting the pumping operation in any manner whatsoever; however, should bind' ing or freezing commerce the pump rod 17 will be lifted to its top position and the slide then will commence to telescope and extend with the movement of the windmill action while the pump rod 17 remains locked in its extended position.

A second orifice 31a is located in the slide bar 24 for conventional attachment to a hand pump not shown, and with this arrangement, the hand pump may be cone nected and operated, with the bar 24 reciprocating in the body 23 and without the need for disconnectingthe windmill mechanism to provide a hand-pump operation.

The modified apparatus illustrated at Figs. 6 through 9 is adapted for use where a circular well pump rod 17 is extended upwardly above the well casing and such pump rod 17 replaces the slide bar 24. This circular rod may be part of the pumping rod itself or it may be a circular rod connected onto the pump rod to provide the extension above the casing.

The pull rod 16 is properly shortened to provide clearance for the modified safety slide 21 and the body of this slide is formed as a U-shaped strap or clevis 37 which depends from the pull rod. The legs of this strap upstand to lie alongside opposing faces of the pull rod 16 and include suitable orifices 26' which are in registration with orifices 27 in the bottom of the pull rod 16 to provide attachment of the legs to the pull rod by bolts 28 inserted through the orifices. The crotch 38 of the clevis 37 includes an on'fice 39 therethrough which becomes a portion of the passageway through a tubular guide 40 depending from the bottom of the clevis, and through which the rod 17 slidably extends. A flange 41 is set at the base of the guide 40 to act as a deflector plate to prevent splashing of water from the well casing from wetting the slide elements in the clevis.

The top of the rod 17' extending through tube 40 into the clevis 37 is threaded and a cap 42 is turned thereon to provide an abutment about the rod which normally seats upon the crotch of the clevis, upon a washer 43. This cap includes a transverse orifice 44 at its crown through which a pin 32 is threaded to hold frictional and guiding washers against the sides of the legs of the clevis. Each washer 33' is formed as a pair of laminated plates with the outer plate 45 contacting the outer side of the clevis legs and a concentric inner plate 46 between the clevis legs. The washers are resiliently held against the legs by a spring 34' set upon the end of the pin 32' and washer 35' and nuts 36' set upon the end of the pin to compress the spring 34' against the washers 33'. The washers thereby not only hold the rod 17' against moving into the clevis by normal compression forces but also, because of the arrangement of the inner plates 46, hold the rod 17 in alignment with the clevis.

The operation of this modified arrangement is as hereinbefore described, the rod 17 being normally pulled to the lower extended portion of the clevis and being held in such position during normal operation which may include moderate compressive forces upon the rod system; however, with any excessive compressive force, the rod 17' moves into the clevis preventing a buckling and damage to the rods. The length of the guide 40 is such as to hold and stabilize the rod 17' and prevent a tendency for the rod to buckle at the point where it passes into the clevis, at orifice 39, and this guide 40 may in some constructions be comparatively short where the clearances are small and the guide serves as a bearing. In such'construction, centering springs 47 may be placed over the pin 32' at each side of the cap 42.

While I have described these constructions in detail, it is obvious that others skilled in the art can devise alternate and equivalent constructions which are Within the scope and spirit of my invention and hence, my protection should be limited, not by the constructions herein described, but only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. The combination with a windmill pull rod and well pump rod of a safety slide adapted to interconnect said rods and comprising a U-shaped clevis attached to the pull rod, an orifice in the crotch of the clevis through which the pump rod slidably extends, a cap at the end of the pump rod between the legs of the clevis adapted to be held in the crotch of the clevis with the rods fully extended and friction means carried by the cap slidably and frictionally connecting with the legs of the clevis adapted to prevent normal telescopic movement of the rods but permit telescopic movement when the axial compressive and tension forces between the rods exceed the resistance of the friction means.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1 said friction means including a cap, an eye through the cap, a bolt extending through the eye, washers carried on the bolt and spring means on the bolt adapted to pull the washers together and against the edges of the legs of the clevis.

3. In the combination defined in claim 1 a guide depending from the crotch portion of the clevis adapted to slidably embrace a portion of the pump rod.

4. The combination with a windmill pull rod and well pump rod of a safety slide adapted to interconnect said rod and comprising a U-shaped clevis attached to one rod, an orifice in the crotch of the clevis through which the other rod slidably extends, a cap at the end of said other rod between the legs of the clevis adapted to be 1 held in the crotch of the clevis with the rods fully References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,343 Skreberg Oct. 27, 1896 1,860,253 Lanspa May 24, 1932 2,296,811 Devereaux Sept. 22, 1942 2,457,593 Nelson Dec. 28, 1948 2,711,805 Hallead 11111628, 1955 

